LaRocque also said his son had been teased atschool about his father's connection to Frenald.
LaRocque and Dyer were both members of theso-called "Fernald Science Club," a group ofstudents enticed with trips and parties toparticipate in the tests.
"The provision of special rewards...otherwiseunavailable to individuals confined in aninstitutionalized setting...resulted in theresearch subjects being unfairly enticed by thoseconducting the research," the report states in oneof its 11 findings.
White-Lief said researchers delegated the taskof obtaining consent to the various state schools'superintendents, thereby failing to ensure thatthe informed consent of the subjects was secured.
"Each of the researchers had a non-delegableduty," said White-Lief, a Boston attorney. "Theduty rested on the researchers."
The 272-page report cites the task force'sthree main findings:
. The research conducted on human subjects ator from state schools between 1943 and 1973 thatinvolved the introduction of radioactivesubstances into their bodies was conducted inviolation of the fundamental human rights of thesubjects involved.
. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which wasat the time charged with the responsibility ofcaring for the individuals in its custody, failedto provide basic protection to the individuals whowere subjected to the research.
. Laws designed to protect persons with mentalretardation from being subjected toexperimentation are inadequate and need to bestrengthened.
Task force members urged the Department ofMental Retardation to support the passage ofcurrent legislation filed by Gov. William F. Weld'66. The proposed law requires the informedconsent of human subjects as a condition forperforming research in any state facility.
U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued astatement yesterday praising the task force andthe report.
"From my viewpoint, the most importantrecommendations of the report are compensation fordamages and mechanisms to prevent a recurrence,"said Markey, adding that he has already introducedlegislation to set federal standards forcompensation.
The subjects of the experiments would likelyqualify for federal compensation because thelicenses to use the radioactive isotopes in manyof the tests came from the Atomic EnergyCommission, a predecessor of the EnergyDepartment.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.) echoedMarkey's statement in a letter accompanying thereport.
"Together we will uncover the full extent ofthe problem and ensure this will not occur again,"Kennedy said.
Campbell, the Department of Mental RetardationCommissioner, said he would adopt many of the taskforce's recommendations, including:
. strengthening restrictions on researchinvolving residents of state facility for thementally retarded;
. identifying all former research subjects;
. obtaining federal compensation for the testsubjects.